Duncan Watmore will not allow his missed chance at Liverpool to play on his mind - but admits he will be taking finishing lessons from Jermain Defoe!

Sunderland’s best opportunity of the game fell to Watmore in the second half with the game goalless, but his first touch let him down and when he did eventually get his shot away Reds keeper Loris Karius made the block.

At that stage the Black Cats had quietened the Anfield crowd and if Sunderland had gone in front, the pressure would have been on Jurgen Klopp’s side.

“It was a very good chance and we worked hard to get that chance, and I’d have loved to have scored it,” said Watmore.

“But you have to make sure it doesn’t play on your mind, and instead concentrate on improving your own game so that next time you do take that chance when it comes along.

“When you’ve got someone like JD [Defoe] in the team, he’s not a bad person to learn from because finishing is his game.

“I definitely need to improve in that respect, and that’s what we do on the training pitch.”

Jermain Defoe of Sunderland (Image: Sunderland AFC)

Sunderland frustrated Liverpool for 75 minutes before finally Divock Origi found a way through, and then James Milner added a second from the penalty spot in injury time.

After the game Klopp labelled Sunderland ‘the most defensive team I have ever seen in my life’, but Watmore said the Black Cats’ only regret was that they could not hold out for the full 90 minutes.

Sunderland had won back-to-back games against Bournemouth and Hull City going into the game at title contenders Liverpool, but the Black Cats’ spirited performance meant that the defeat on Merseyside has not dampened the mood.

Watmore said: “Like any team, it helps when you are winning, you have that momentum and the last few performances have shown that.

“When you have back to back wins in the Premier League it helps, it’s a shame we couldn’t do it at Liverpool.

“But we held them for the best part of the 75 minutes and frustrated them, which is what we set out to do, it was a shame, ultimately, we couldn’t get the result, but we’ll go again.”

Under new boss David Moyes, Sunderland started the season with a ten-game winless streak but, after winning two out of three of their games in November, the signs are that they have begun to gel at last.

“I think it takes time, we perhaps didn’t expect it to take this long and that’s a shame,” said Watmore.

“We know we are not in a good position, we need to sort ourselves out in that respect.

“But any new team and manager with new players takes time to bond.

“We’ve been getting used to the manager and his style of play.

“Hopefully now we are seeing what the team can do now people are used to each other and used to each other’s games

“Back-to back-wins showed we are clicking and we’ve got to make sure we show that it’s not a one-off and we move forward and we carry this on.”